


Lovestruck

by cosmoggy



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 22:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7406908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmoggy/pseuds/cosmoggy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vanessa's never been big into the whole soulmate thing. Not for herself, anyway.<br/>Unfortunately, it's hard to escape in a world where it's so prevalent. Vanessa/Innes, AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lovestruck

**Author's Note:**

> Soulmate AU? Sign me up. Wrote this earlier in the day and can't sleep now, so posting. Likely gonna turn into a series.

Vanessa wasn't huge on the whole “Bond” thing.

Unfortunately, she lived in a world where escaping the name on her wrist was a little hard to do.

Everybody had that telltale name printed on their wrist from birth. No middle, no surname to help them along, just a given title and a searing throb if they got close enough to the correct person in question. Vanessa's sister, Syrene, four years older than her, had found hers when she was only fifteen. A tall, taciturn boy named Gilliam had applied to work at the family's auto shop. The pain in Syrene's wrist the moment they first met had been intense enough to make her drop a plate.

Luckily, it didn't last. The moment they both realized what was going on, Syrene and Gilliam were inseparable. Vanessa knew it didn't go so smoothly for everyone, and not everyone ever even managed to find their Bond. But she had always been happy for Syrene and Gilliam, because they made each other happy and they just mixed _so well_. It didn't hurt to have a new big brother running around helping her out with things, either, and so that had been that. Gilliam was family now.

Vanessa had heard the hilarious story about her parents meeting, as well. Her mother had been so focused on a paper she was writing that when her father tapped her shoulder to ask for the time, the resounding pain in her wrist caused her to jerk her elbow back and slam it into his stomach. It sounded like the kind of thing that would happen to Vanessa, honestly. She was far from 'smooth,' as people would call it.

But again, she wasn't big on the whole Bond thing. At least, not in her own case. And now, at almost twenty-five, she wasn't really feeling the whole Quest for Love thing either. A lot of people went into lines of work or school or whatever that could get them a chance to travel or meet their Bond. Vanessa stopped concentrating on any of that when she was graduating high school and moving on for an engineering degree. Being a “brain box,” as Syrene put it, was a little more important to her than finding some boy (or girl, whatever) to pine over.

Her friends Lute and Forde, they had been more than a little irritating about it lately. Ever since her call back for a second round interview with Frelia Corp, an aeronautical engineering company in need of some new hires. The son of the CEO apparently had a matching first name to the one on Vanessa's wrist.

“It's not him.” She said one day when Forde- local street artist and complete smartass- showed her a picture of him on his phone. Lute had taken one look and said in her usual deadpan, _he's hot, take him._

He _was_ dreamy. In the 'can't be bothered to smile' way, of course. He seemed all business on television or in interviews (and Forde and Lute wouldn't stop shoving those down her throat) and that wasn't necessarily bad, but his intelligence and startling pokerface were...not offputting, but intimidating.

“It's totally him.” Forde returned. Today was her interview, with the director of the R&D department, Moulder. He had been on her interview team in the first round of callbacks and while businesslike and formal in demeanor he had kind eyes. Vanessa liked him- so far at least.

They were walking her from the train station to the company's office. Vanessa had grown up in a small, coastal town working at her parents' auto shop and knowing everybody at her high school. Living in Emblem City was more than just a small change. She had only been there a year, so Forde and Lute still helped her find her way on occasion. Today it was just an excuse to see how things would go, though. And they all knew it.

“Does he have an office here?” Lute asked as they approached the door, “Find it. You'll see. Come on, we have a pool running.”

“Oh my _god_ , guys.” Vanessa groaned. “I'm not going to wander away from an important job interview just to sate- and _disprove-_ your morbid curiosity.”

“Disprove my _ass_.” Lute muttered. Oh, great. Forde was rubbing off on her.

“I have to go now. If you two do that thing where you text me the whole time just to make me squirm I'll break your phones when I get out of there.”

Forde made a 'tch' noise under his breath. Lute shrugged noncommittally. Vanessa went inside.

Her wrist was itching. She wouldn't admit it to them, though.

The interview went well. Her wrist itched the entire time. It got worse as she left and desperate to just make it _stop_ , prove her asshat friends _wrong_ , she slammed the close door button on the elevator as she boarded. She was only on the third floor. She could outrun whatever weird sensation this was, make it out, and make up some lie about running into the CEO's kid and not feeling a thing.

But the itching had turned into legitimate pain now and Vanessa was _pissed_. It was getting worse and worse- worse than the ankle she'd broken second year of figure skating, even- when she mad it into the lobby. She bore it beautifully, flexing her hand and hissing swears under her breath as she went. She could see the door.

“Oh, this is not happening _today._ ” She insisted desperately. This was not happening at _all._

She was fine with falling in love someday, maybe even finding whatever _Innes_ was meant for her. But not like this, not when her competitive spirit was desperate to stamp out the constant smirk on Forde's face and the singsong triumph Lute always met her with when she was right.

Someone grabbed her wrist. The pain escalated to a loud gasp ripping from her throat, and she pulled a Mom Meets Dad, whirling with right fist clenched and socking Innes Frelian.

Her years of athleticism sent his head whipping to the side and he stumbled backwards, still holding onto her. Thankfully neither of them fell.

And by the time Vanessa had horrifiedly realized what just happened, the pain had soothed to a quiet throb. More like a heartbeat in her hand than anything else.

“Holy _shit._ ” She whispered in fright. He was _bleeding_. Right from the corner of his mouth. And his cheek was a bit reddened. Oh, that was going to bruise beautifully. She grew even more horrified when he looked up at her with irritation in his eyes. Oh, they were so _blue_.

“I, uh-” she was cut off. Security was coming over at a steady clip.

“Oh, god...” She muttered. She wanted the floor to swallow her as Innes waved the aggravated guards away with a glare.

“You have an arm on you.” He managed, finally, after they were gone. “Vanessa.”

Her breath caught on another apology. Oh god, Forde was going to have a field day with this. He knew her name. He _knew her name._

“Listen, I'm really sorry, I was just startled and I. Oh god it's bruising- here I have a tissue, god, I really am _sorry_ -”

“I'm fine.” Innes said in a clipped tone. He was standing straight and tall now. Willowy and fey like as she was, Vanessa barely came up to his shoulder. She could feel that infernal way her ears burned now. She was flushed all the way up her face.

“I think it would be fair for you to meet me for dinner tonight to apologize, though.”

Vanessa pursed her lips. It really would be, honestly, and she got the feeling she wouldn't be getting out of it now. She did at least owe one hell of an apology of _some_ sort.

So she nodded. And she took his number. And when he smiled at her, she most definitely did _not_ go a little weak in the knees.

She did, however, punch Forde in the shoulder as hard as she could when she found him cackling and filming outside.

 


End file.
